Harambee Stars have good chance to top WCQ group – Situma

Multiple Kenyan Premier League winner James Situma has said that Harambee Stars have a good chance of topping their 2026 World Cup qualification group.

Kenya are in Group F alongside Ivory Coast, Seychelles, Burundi, Gambia and Gabon. Although Situma is confident of Harambee Stars are in a good position to take command of the pool, they are third with three points, and Ivory Coast and Gabon lead with six points.

“You can’t write off a team before a game or a tournament. It is possible to win both matches and take control of the group. We also have a good chance to top the group,” Situma, a Premier League winner with Sofapaka and Tusker, told a local sports show.

Kenya will host both Burundi on Friday, June 7, and Ivory Coast on June 11 in Lilongwe, Malawi. This is because both Moi International Sports in Kasarani and Nyayo Stadium are undergoing renovation.

Situma said it would have been good to have one facility ready to host the Harambee Stars, but he also feels playing away from home fans has an advantage.

“Statistics show that we have been doing well when playing away in recent times. The team returns to Malawi, a destination they know very well. The team will not be under much pressure as compared to when playing at home.

“We appreciate the efforts by the government to refurbish our facilities to meet the set requirements. However, we could have had at least one ready for these matches,” the retired defender said.

Home support

The retired Harambee Star is optimistic that before the next phase of qualifiers, one of the local stadiums will be ready to host games.

“The fans deserve to see and support the team in action. I hope we will be infrastructure-ready for the next international break,” he added.

Kenya will play at the Bingu Stadium in Lilongwe, a venue where they managed to win the Four-Nations tournament in the last FIFA international break.